Liverpool and Everton head into the 195th Merseyside derby on the back of midweek victories, with Jurgen Klopp looking to quickly dampen the opposition's festive cheer on his first test at Goodison Park.
Last season's goalless draw at the ground represented Brendan Rodgers' last game in charge of the Reds, with the German appointed four days later.
Klopp oversaw a 4-0 hammering of the Blues during his first taste of the local rivalry at Anfield in April and will want his men to deliver another masterclass as Ronald Koeman oversees his maiden battle between the clubs.
Everton are 11 points below Liverpool in the standings, and while they may not be as fluent as their neighbours, they will certainly aim to be fiery in front of their home fans.
LIVERPOOL INJURIES
Daniel Sturridge, who has missed five games on the spin with a calf problem, is nearing a return to full training. Pain has subsided in Emre Can's knee, which Klopp described as a "strange injury." Should the midfielder be able to complete sessions before the showdown, he should make the squad.
Joel Matip, meanwhile, continues to struggle with pain in his ankle. No final decision has been taken yet on whether he will feature.
Serbian starlet Marko Grujic is still nursing a tendon issue and Philippe Coutinho's recovery from ankle ligament damage has been progressing well with the Brazilian hoping to make the matchday 18 for the New Year's Eve hosting of Manchester City.
LIVERPOOL SUSPENSIONS
Liverpool have no suspension concerns, while Phil Jagielka will miss the encounter for the hosts following his double booking against Arsenal.
LIVERPOOL POTENTIAL STARTING LINE-UP
Jurgen Klopp made a surprising yet understandable move in the 3-0 win over Middlesbrough on Wednesday by removing Loris Karius from the firing line and restoring Simon Mignolet in goal. The Belgian will continue between the sticks, while there will be a late decision on Matip's involvement.
If the centre-back can't push through the pain barrier, Klopp is likely to stick with Ragnar Klavan who acquitted himself well in midweek. Lucas is also an option to partner Dejan Lovren.
The Reds boss would be considerably boosted if both Can and Sturridge can shake off their complaints to give him extra depth on the bench.
EVERTON DOSSIER
Everton's victory over Arsenal on Tuesday, sparked by a bullish second half, was only their second league win in 11 games.
While Liverpool's defence has come under scrunity, Koeman's charges have managed just one clean sheet in their last 12 top-flight fixtures.
Their attacking output has also diminished considerably - the first six matches across all competitions produced 14 goals for Everton, but since then, they've scored 11 in the last dozen.
The Blues are strong at Goodison though, with the Gunners not alone in leaving the ground frustrated - Manchester United and Tottenham both had to unsettle for a draw.
Everton are unbeaten at home in the league this season, conceding only six goals on their own turf, with no visiting team breaching their backline more than once.
Romelu Lukaku has scored five in his last eight outings in the division against Liverpool, but the hosts will be without the influential Yannick Bolasie - missing through a knee injury.
BEST OPTA MATCH FACTS
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Everton have only won one of their last 19 Premier League Merseyside derbies - in October 2010 at Goodison.
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Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 11 league derby matches with Everton (W4 D7). This is their longest unbeaten run against them in league competition since an 11-game streak in between March 1979 and March 1984.
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The last four league games at Goodison between the sides have been drawn.
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Liverpool have lost just one of the last 18 games - the 4-3 defeat at Bournemouth.
TV COVERAGE & KICK-OFF TIME
Kick off is at 8pm local time with the game televised on Sky Sports.
